Have you ever been at the beach and noticed that you can usually spot these two types of people if you are there for any length of time:
The one covered in sand…usually been buried up to their neck. She is just relaxing and not really concerned with everything that’s around her. She has all this sand, sunshine and water, yet she sits there…buried. You might would say she is being lazy with everything she has around her. She isn’t taking advantage of building sandcastles, swimming in the water, finding shells for her collection or tossing the beach ball around with a friend. She has so many things she could do, yet she just sits with her toes sticking out of the sand.
Then there’s that girl building a massive sandcastle with as much sand as she can scoop up from the shore. She has filled bucket after bucket with water and sand to create an amazing sculpture with the endless amounts of sand around her. She has increased her shell collection and has enjoyed swimming in the ocean. She has taken advantage of tossing the beach ball with her bestie and ran up and down the shore enjoying everything that has been given to her in this glorious day! She is putting everything she has at her disposal to build, grow, work and make something from what she has been given.
When looking at Matthew 25:14-30 when Jesus tells the parable of the talents, there were two men who did something with what their master had given them and then there was one who took what the master has given him and buried it. The other two had increased the wealth of their master, while the other didn’t lose it…he just didn’t do anything with it. The two that chose to “do something” knew that their master was going to return, so they wanted to invest their time in growing what has been given to them. Whether big or small, they wanted to make the most of what they had been entrusted with. Now, the one who buried what his master had given to him just ended up returning the same thing right back to him…nothing had been done with it all. He didn’t take any bit of joy knowing his master was returning, so he wasted an opportunity to work, build and grow what was entrusted to him.
I encourage you to go read this account for yourself, but this parable describes how it will be like when we stand before our Master. We will have to give an account for what we have done with everything that has been given to us by God. Every talent, ability, dollar and opportunity is not in vain, friend. Are we going to choose to sit our bum down in the sand and do absolutely nothing with what has been placed before us…essentially burying what God has given us…or are we spending the days until His return building, working, growing and investing every opportunity we have in furthering The Kingdom of God? Are we a lazy beach bum for the Lord or are we combing the shore looking for every opportunity to build up our Lord and grow the collection of believers in Christ Jesus?
